Golf ball retrieving device



GOLF BALL RETRIEVING DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1950 INVENTORS n ,/Q WALTER VVENZEL fi* u E BYEDMUND B. GREENWALD ALUM,

Patented July 29, i952 UNITED STATE-s PATE Walter Wenzel,l Oconomowoc, and Edmund Y Greenwald, Milwaukee, `Wis.

Application september 6, 1950, serial N0. 183,320" 40mm. `(el. 214-65) Y Our invention relates to retrieving machines, and more particularly to a device for picking up golf balls from driving ranges or the like.

The object of our invention is to provide a device that lifts the balls from the groundby rotatable centrifugal action. s

Another object of our invention is to provide a deviceA of the character described that rotates the ball by centrifugal frictional means during elevation from the ground, without applying any Y clamping force to the ball.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a device that eliminates the danger of frac turing the outer cover of the ball being retrieved.v

A further object of our invention is to construct ay device in a manner to provide access to the golf balls scattered over an uneven terrain.

A still further object is to provide a device of the character described that will permit access te' the entire surface onto which the golf ballsl have been deposited, and in which the balls are directed towards the rotating elevator units.

Still another object of our invention is to eliminate the possibility of the device forcing the ball into the soft ground during the process of retrieving. j rThe device employs a principle entirely different from the prior art, is easy to manipulate,

and is highly eicient for the purpose for which it is intended.

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art of retrieving golf balls from driving ranges or the like, that it is often times quite dicult to reach the balls deposited in recesses within the terrain or uneven surfaces of the field, and the conventional method of discs employed, creates the hazard of fracturing the spherical, peripheral surface of the ball due to the clamping of thev device. y

Figure 1is atop or plan view of the entire.

Figure 2 is a side view of yan assembled r? the . 2 trieving unit showing the ball guide in cross section; Y

of the retrieving unit.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectionof the conveye'r" unit and guide wingsl mounted onfashaft, and showing a golf ball positionedwith'in theo'p'--f positely disposed semi-circular' grooves.v a. f Figure 5 is an enlarged top or plan/viewr offan assembled retrieving unit hingedly supportedv on a portion of the cross bar, and

Figure 6 shows a basket-or receptacle forr'sup-r I porting and conveying the `retrieved balls,

Similar characters Iof reference indicate? cor"-` responding parts throughout the several-views;- and referringfnow tothe'same, the characterj l0 shows a cross bar which is longitudinally dis-* posed and which is pro'videdvwith a yokemllfr which yoke is attached at its ends to'the cross` bar at I2, and has a shackle arrangement I3 for attachment to avehicle (not shown)` whilethe entire device is being propelled over the ground.'

The shackle, obviously, is shown equipped with' an aperture I4 for the engagement of thejalt-U taching means.

The device may either be pushed or pulled everl the terrainfrom which the golf balls are being-f' retrieved; The end support 'members l''-Ii"u,iat'" tached at .I6 tothe cross bar I0, are ,f "rigid construction, and we show a plurality of hinged' members I1, having pivoted arms I8, attached?l thereto by means of pivot` brackets |91 having` apertures 20. and thesebracketsare attached :te the arms Iat 2l in any convenient manner. g

There are hinge members A'I [attached tothef cross bar I0 at 22, and pins 23 extending through the brackets I9 and the hinge membersl I1 actI as a fulcrum for the entire separate unit. The

pivoted arms I8 are attached at 29 to the frame-v structure 25 which is in theform of fa spider member, supporting guide wings shownfafs'r ttfl which are stationary and have semi-circularA grooves 21 on their inner face.` The outenface';p f ith"v ofthe guide wings 26 are shown provided vertical channel members 28, having loopl me bers 29, at their upper end, and having outwardly? disposed contact members 30 whichare placed angularly so that their depending endf3I isfr'- ward from the point of vertical members 28,

The contact members 30'have horizontal fiatI sections 32 at their top. There aredownwardly disposed members 3,3 attached to the pivoted armi I8 at 34, and thelowe'rend o'f'these;members"330A Support a blade shownas 35 which contacts 'the NT OFFICE Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective lview the attachment to f thensemi-circular concave grooves 21 in the guide-v wings 26. Y

Baskets or containers shown as 4i Ain Figure 6 are provided with hook members-L42'for"engage-- ment with the arms I8, and another setofhookY members 43 for engagement fwithg-thefloop 2,9, at

the top of the vertical member V28. These baskets are supported in position as shownin lig@` ure l.

- In; operation,theentirassembly is propelled'- over the surface of the ground by means ofv-a vehicleecnotshownlg-,- liz-,marmi course;y loe-pulled or pushed, the flat surface Y39Min,theiperiplfiery-.

Giet-.hej rotating conyeyers- -contactfthe ground,

andnthe: entire,4 device:isgrsupporteduby the twoouter frotatingconveyersf. shown;` as: `3 it Which-are rigidly supportedat i Seto, thecrossbar vI ilfleav ing the.; rest. of' I the plurality of. conveyor f units 3V8f1eentofmovev'up, andfdown due to` vthepivoted support by means ,ofjthe pin r'1.133on1the hinge'` member? |12; ThefcQr-lveyersft arerotatably supported by the shaft; 31 whieli;is journalledewithfinetheespiders zrandifhar Vguide-wings 2,1: disnose. th semi circulargiiiciefg21; havefoutwardly eX.- tendi Contact members te which. reach out theircends 3 l toward oneanother.- In this manner-.ilasrthefconveyers 3,8, and S/J-movevfoverthel ground,ethefangularlyjdisposed f contact members alwilleause ,anyfballi cominain contactIv there,-

withltofberolled.-toward,the -semir-circularfgroove, M13-on bothsidesot the rotatingconveyer 3.3, andkv theg semiecireularfgrooves2lofthe g-uidewings 26. Due to the centrifugal force exerted bythe rotating; l'conveyery the ball will roll againstV4 the wail of ro 'n ati-talltimesfduefto contact-with the-,ingA side'off the; .grooves 21:-A and 46- 'until' theball 3BE.

reaches the top; 0f the semi-circular wing 2li,

atawhinh time, it WilL-befree to`V drop into-.the basketfi L: Thetball-, asd-tis being conveyedirom'.

the YWer-.nopening-j,tothe: upper ,opening rolls fat, all timesf, .dueto the rotation of thel conveyer unit.` Obviously, thebasketor containerv Algmay have-aipartial-cover;l or may. be constructed of any shapebr contour,..to. preventtheballs that have been retrieved. fromboundingiiout of the basket orythe like..

`lits-,is manifest therefore manyadvantages inasmuch as4 theprinciplie.. in,- volved isgto v.guide the ball disposed on s the sur,` faceeofthe ground, no. matter how uneven4 the terrain-may be, toward the revolving, members. which; are provided Withareceiving means, on both-sides-thereof, and the'` ball is-raisedby centrifugak forcev and'rotatable frictionA resistance between therevolving-member andthe stationaryA semi-circular wingmembers, toward thefupper end of the wing where it is free toV be. depQSitedv inte. aereceptacle or container. l i

Theiballis neverwedged. between two; objects, isneversubjected to sphericah peripheral surface-grooved or cut,v

fQliitgisfrotated vduring its entire travell upward the :groove-21 causingthe. ball .tofliep that our. device has the hazard of` having'vits The entire assembly may be made into one unit or a plurality of units, and is constructed so that every radial revolving member is independent of the other, and acts as its own means of reaching the ground level. Obviously, any number of balls may be disposed at one time within the grooves, without interfering with one anothef- Y i. .4

inthe chose,` embodiments ,oiiour invention exemplified by the accompanying drawings, there are many features that identify it from the existing art, and although we have shown a specic structure; We-are fully cognizant of the fact that the component parts may vary in shape and contour; and we-reserve the right to make such changes'without departing from the spirit of our invention or the,V scope of the appended claims.

Havingthus describedkour invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the'United Statestisr. '1"

1". A'b'all; retrieverion the charactenldescribedt comprising; ai cross". member; Lhavingf; a; plurality of transverse members pivota'llyattached-thereto,

a; plurality ofV said` transverse? members' rigidly attached to said cross:membersjsaid'transverse' members having rotating" conveying -membr-rs rotatably mountedto their outwardly projecting ends, stationary members attachedto said 'trans-L:E verse fmembers, said stationary: membersT spaced: apart from said rotating membersand adjacents thereto, said rotating conveyorsmembers'provided.l with-L continuous semi-circular; concave.4 grooves in bothof" their outerfflatfsnrfaces; saidv stationary` vmembers provided with'` Vsemi@circular concave grooves of Selm-angular: contour disposed on their inner faces, saidgroovesin said, rotary,4

conveyor member andi stationarymember being placed in 'direct alignment with.. one' another,y outwardly extendir'igv guide' members attached' toand adjacent to. said f stationary member Vat fthef lower open portion ofthefsemi-circular,groove inv VsaidI stationary member, a. b,ladef-member attached to said-stationary. members, said blade 'f member-extending across the peripheral aceot said conveyor, in alignment withr said guide member, and a plurality of receptacles` attached to saidtr'ansverse members-'giorv retaining balls elevated by'said rotating conveying memben 2. A ball retrieving device of they character described comprising,

ber, a' plurality of transverse 'members attached,- to said cross member, some of said transverse members provided with ahinge merriber'foi'piv-` a longitudinal cross; memotally supporting said transverse membersA` to said cross members, all of Vsaid transverse `membersV having-rotating conveyor members mounted to tlfieirgvoutwardlyr projecting ends, stationary7 members attached to saidtransverse `members,

said stationary membersespaced apart fromv said' rotating members and adjacent' theretogfsaidv rotating conveyor members provided vfwith a. continuous semi-circular recessed' groove on'both of its outer4 faces, said stationary members vprovlided vviithil semi-circular recessedY grooves-bf' semi-circular contour disposed 'on their inner faces, said grooves vin said rotating conveyor member and stationary memberbeing in direct alignment with one another, outwardly extending guide members attached to the stationary members adjacent to theloweropen portions-of" the semi-circular grooves in said stationary member, a blade member attached to saidlstationary member, said blade member extending" across the peripheral face of said rotary conveyer in alignment with said guide members, and a plurality of receptacles attached to said transverse members, said receptacles arranged in a manner to receive the balls that have been elevated by said rotating conveyor members due to their rotating frictional contact between said rotating and stationary members.

3. A ball retrieving device of the character described comprising in combination, a longitudinal cross bar, said bar supporting a plurality oi transversely attached retrieving units which are permitted to move independently from one another, said retrieving units consisting of a rotatably mounted rotating conveyor, journalled to said transverse units, a pair of semi-circular stationary members each rigidly supported on opposite sides of said rotating conveyor,` said rotating conveyor being provided with continuous circular recessed grooves on each of its outer faces, said stationary members provided with a semi-circular recessed groove open at its bottom and top and in direct alignment with the continuous semi-circular groove in said rotating conveyor, guide members extending outward from the bottom of said stationary member at the bottom of the opening thereof, said guide members extending in angular relation to said stationary members, and a receptacle attached to said unit near the outlet of the semi-circular groove in said stationary member to receive the balls conveyed upward within said grooves due to the rotatable frictional contact of said balls with the face of the inner Walls of said grooves.

4. A ball retrieving device of the character described comprising, a longitudinal cross bar, said bar supporting a plurality of transverse retrieving units which are hingedly supported by said cross bar and free to move up and down independently one from the other. said retriev- CFI ing units consisting of a rotatably mounted conveyer journalled to said transverse unit, a pair of semi-circular stationaryA members, each rigidly supported on opposite sides of said rotating member, the rotating members being provided with continuous circular recessed grooves on both of its outer faces near its peripheral edge, said stationary members provided with semi-circular recessed grooves open at the top and bottom and in direct alignment with the continuous groove in said rotating conveyer member, a blade member extending across the peripheral face of said rotating member, guide members extending outward from both of said stationary members at the bottom opening thereof, said guide members extending Ain angular relation to said stationary members, and receptacles attached to said units near the upper outlet of the semi-circular groove on said stationary members to receive the balls conveyed upward within said grooves due to the rotatable frictional contact of said ball with the inner face of the walls of said groove.

WALTER WENZEL. EDMUND GREENWALD.

REFERENCE S CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,289,563 Simon Dec. 31, 1918 1,395,789 Bannell Nov. 1, 1921 1,439,266 Shaw Dec. 19, 1922 1,798,322 Floyd et al Mar. 31, 1931 1,941,939 Hershey Jan. 2, 1934 2,365,540 Fonken Dec. 19, 1944 2,482,355 McBride Sept. 20, 1949 2,484,437 Wells Oct. 11, 1949 2,508,454 Goodwin May 23, 1950 

